Aldehyde manufacture



Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES AYLMER H. MAUDE, or mm), wns'r v me mm, nssrenoa 'ro 'rnr. RUBBER snnvrcn PATENT OFFICE LABORATORIES COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO ALnErrYnn MANUFACTURE No firawing.

The present invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes from aldols by a catalytic dehydration process. More particularly the invention relates to the manufacture of crotonaldehyde from acetaldol by heating aldol in the manner as hereinafter set forth in the presence of aluminum phosphate and concentrated phosphoric acid.

Heretofore crotonaldehyde has been manufactured by the standard process which comprises the condensation of acetaldehyde to aldol and the decomposition of the latter into water and crotonaldehyde, as indicated by the following equation The yields of crotonaldehy'de by earlier known processes have, however, been relatively low and the product obtained has generally. contained large proportions of impurities such as acetaldehyde, acids, acetals, crotonols and oily and tar like substances'which were diflicult to remove. I have now-found that by heatin acetal'dol in the presence of concentrated p osphoric a'cid,.'the extent to which the undesired side reactions take place is effectually diminished and substantially revented thereby making possible a transormation' of a large proportion of the aldol into crotonaldehyde." The dehydration step is further aided by the presence of aluminum phosphate prepared in situin the-manner as hereinafter described. By employing the catalysts set forth, it has been found that exceptionally are realized. oreover, the resulting aldehyde is of a high quality and can'be obtained in a substantially anhydrous form by-distillation means, preferably after treatment with some suitable water absorbent.

The following example is illustrative of one mode of carrying out the invention. aldol was admixed with approximately 3% its weight of 85% phosphoric acid and 1% by weight of aluminum hydroxide. and the mixture was heated in any suitable manner to approximately 160 C. and maintained thereat until the reaction products were sub- Application filed June 29,

1921. Serial No. 202,466.

stantially removed by distillation fromthe m1xt ure and collected. Although other proportions of catalysts may be taken, it has been found desirable to employ those set phate in situ since the freshly prepared finely divided material has been found to be more efficient as a catalyst ifiprepared as described;

More specifically, the procedure has been carried out in accordance with the above process in which a mixture substantially in the proportion of 260 pounds ofa'cetaldol, 6

pounds of concentrated phosphoric acid and 2 pounds of aluminum hydroxide were placed in a jacketed container equipped with a fractionating columnand a water cooled condenser. Steam-o'r other heating fluid was then flowed through the jacket of the container and the mixture was slowly heated to approximately 160 C. Any vapors that g were evolved were removed from the container by passage through the fractionating column and condenser and were collected in a receiver. Acetaldehyde in small amounts was collected first while the larger fraction comprised a mixture of crotonaldehyde and water. This fraction was then purified by redistillation while employing a somewhat longer fractionating column than was necessary in the first step. In case a dry product is desired, this last distillation is carried out after. treatment with some suitable anhyliifhpyields crotonaldehide drous salt, or the redistilled crotonaldehyde phate or other non-reaptive drying agents.

A' yieldof crentonaldehyde was thereby realized that corresponded to a transformation of more than 80% of the aldol into the A aldehyde. I y The above process has been found to operate very successfully and produce high yields of crotonaldehyde when therdehydration of the. aldol is carried out in the presence of. acetaldehyde. This givesan improved ad vantage to my present process since it renders I consisting of approximately 278 parts ofunnecessary any treatment of aldol to remove 'acetaldehy'de therefrom.

Thus a mixture of aldol andacetaldehyde cetaldol and 122 parts of substantially anydrous acetaldehyde was heated'in the man- .ner described in the previous example in the presence of approximately 10 parts of phos- .phoric acid and 3 parts of aluminum hydioxide. The fraction collecting up to about C. and consistingfor the most part of acetaldehyde, was employed for the p)reparation of afurtherquantity of aldol.

aldehyde fraction collected was redistilled and dried. The yield of aldehyde so obtained was over 80% sible. p Although other proportions of the'catalyst set forth have been em lo ed it has been found that the highest 1e1 s of the desired product resulted from the use of the quantities indicated in the examples. Moreover, other catalysts may also be employed. Such of the theoretical yigld poscatalysts, however, should preferably com-.

prise a metallic hydroxide that is substantially insoluble in water and an excess of an acid capable of forming a salt of the hy--' droxide employed which salt also is substantially insoluble in'water. Such salts to be most effective in the process should be .pro-

- duced preferably in the manner as set forth and not added in the form of a salt to the aldol, inasmuch as the fineness of division of the salt is apparently a material factor in the process. a

The examples all limitative of the scope ofmy invention. Furthermore, the invention is to be understood .as not limited by anly theories advanced in explanation of thee anges involved in the process but is limited only by theclaims attached hereto wherein I intend to claim all novelty in my process which is permissible in-v view, of the priorart.

What I claim is:

1. The process of manufacturing an on saturated aldehyde which comprises adding .to an aldol a substantially water-insoluble metallic hydroxide, and aconcentrated mineral acid, and heat-treating the mixture so obtained.

2. The process of manufacturing an .un-

I istilla-- .tion was continued asbefore and the croton- I hereinbefore set forth are to 'beunderstood as illustrative only and not at tonaldehyde to an aldol approximately 1% its weight of aluminum hydroxide and approximately 3% its weight of 85% phosphoric acid, heating the resulting mixtureto approximately 160 C. andcollecting the heat distillation products.

5. The process of manufacturing crotonaldehyde which comprises adding to acetaldol approximately 1% its weight of aluminum hydroxide and approximately 3% its weight of 85% phosphoric acid, heating the result,- ing mixture to approximately 160 C. and collecting the heat distillation products.

6. The process of manufacturing crotonaldehyde which comprises adding to acetaldol approximatel 1% its weight of aluminum hydroxide an more than an equivalent quantity of concentrated phosphoric acid to form aluminum phosphate in situ in the aldol,

heating the mixture so formed and collecting the heat distillation products.

The process of manufacturing crotonaldehyde which comprises adding to acetaldol a substantially water-insoluble metallic hydroxide, and a concentrated mineral acid, and heat-treating 'the mixture so obtained.

8. The process of manufacturing crotoiialdehyde which comprises adding to acetaldol aluminum hydroxide, and concentrated phosphoric acid, and heat-treating the mixture so less than an equivalentamou'nt of aluminum phosphate. 1

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

saturated aldehyde which comprises adding to aldol aluminum hydroxide and concentrated phosphoric acid, and heat-treatingthe mixture so obtained.

3. The process of manufacturing an unsaturated aldehyde which comprises heating an aldol in the presence of aluminum phosphate and uncombinedconcentratcd phosphoric acid.

4. The process saturated aldehyde which comprises adding of manufacturing an. un-

AYLMER H. 

